, 1887-08-27

eral parties last week, and Stock Detect
ives Boswell, Pasche, and Special F. G.
Thommasson. armed with warrants and
the usual equipments, started after the
offenders via the Cheyenne & Northern.
At the end of the track horses were
mounted and ridden by the trio until the
rendezvous of the criminals was reached
and the suspected men taken into custody.
THE PRISONERS.
Detectives Boswell and Thommasson
arrived last evening, having in charge
one Lavalle, Jas. NJ. or Doc Howard,
and one Ryan, men who are positively
known to be cattle thieves.
LAvALLE.
This man is about five feet eight inches
tall, weighs $50 pounds, dark hair, full
beard, and presents the appearance of the
ordinary ranchman. He is married and
has lived on his claim on the Horse Shoe
for several years. He does not look nor
act like a hardened criminal. There are
several children in the Lavalle family.
HOWARD.
Jas. NJ, or Doc Howard is well
known in Cheyenne and Laramie county.
He resided in the city for several years,
was a member of the police force under
Marshal Slaughter. His reputation never
was first class though he was never be-
fore arrested upon so serious a charge.
He has been calaboosed a number of
times for drinking and engaging in saloon
brawls. Long before Howard sold his
Grow creek ranch fifteen miles north of
this city to Dater Bros, he was suspected
of butchering cattle not his and APP
proprlating mavericks. Though known
to be tricky, and not above suspicion,
Howard was classed as a good fellow"
by many who will be surprised to learn
that he now lies in the county Jail charged
with misdeeds extending over a long term
Of years. Doc" is a physical giant and
an athlete, is over six feet tall, weighs
1870 pounds, is dark complrxioned and
wears a full beard usually trimmed rather
short. Howard was talkative and ap
parently unconcerned.
RYAN.
The last of the thieving trio and appar-
emily the most dangerous is Ryan. He
Is evidently % years old, weighs los
pounds, light complexioned, heavy blonde
moustache and goatee, has a noticeable
defect in his left eye, is muscular appear
ing, slightly stopped shculdered and a
trife bow-legged. Nothing is known of
this man beyond the fact that he was an
active member of the gang Of thieves,
and but recently arrived in the section in
which he was located when arrested.
Ryan was in the employ of a Horse Shoe
ranchman. He acted inditferently and
and said nothing. Ryan was dressed in
a suit of the material called corduroy.
AN INCIDENT.
When a LEADER reporter reached the
court house last night the officers and
prisoners were standing in the large hall
way. Boswell and Lavalle were earnestly
engaged in an apparently interesting con-
versatlon, which was being conducted in
low tones. The prisoner was leaning
against the door of Isaac Bergman's
office, while the chief of stock detectives
stood directly facing him. Without a
moment warning Lavalle fell to the floor
in a dead faint, and was only revived after
bathing his head and chatting his hands
for fully five minutes, when he was again
apparently in good health. What Bos-
well said to the man could not be learned,
further than that the conversation was
upon former deeds of the prisoner sup
posed to be known only to himself.
When Lavelle was able to stand again he
said:
IT'S HEART DISEASE,
the first attack We had for over ten years.
If [ have another spell carry me into the
street. | don't want anyone to be able to
say to my children that their father died
in a jail" He was assured that he was
not in the vicinity of deaths door, and
his fellow prisoners attempted to cheer
him UP, but with poor success. Lavalle
was resting easily at a late hour last night.
OPERATIONS OF H GANG.
Lavalle, Howard and Ryan are, as
stated above, members of a well organ
lied band of cattle thieves which has
been slaughtering beeves and stealing
mavericks for some time. But little is
yet known of the methods of the thieves
or the extent of their depredations.
Many hides of butchered animals have
been unearthed near the ranches of La
vale and Howard, and they have sold
mavericks to various parties, and could
always supply fresh veal upon short no.
tice. 1t is also charged that they have
been detected in altering brands, quite a
serious crime itself. The cattle of De-
billicr & Teschemacher and other large
owners range on or near the Horse Shoe,
and they are the losers by the operations
of the thieves.
The Cheyenne band will play at the
fair grounds during the association meet